Click on one of the conditions below for an explanation and to see how we can help
At Advocate Pain Management, our Houston and Pasadena doctors are specialists in shoulder pain, and take an individualized approach to diagnosing and treating shoulder pain.
Considered the most mobile joint in the body, the shoulder technically consists of two joints, at the highest part of the scapula (shoulder blade) and clavicle (collar bone), and the ball-and-socket joint where the humerus (upper arm bone) fits into the outer edge of the scapula. The shoulder area has a lot of cartilage, as well as the tendons that make up the rotator cuff. Damage to any of these soft tissues can cause pain and limited mobility.
Our specialists use the latest technology in diagnosing the cause, rather than just dealing with the symptoms. Some common causes of shoulder pain:
• Rotator cuff damage — A tear in one or more of the tendons of the rotator cuff, or inflamed or impinged (pinched) tendons
• “Frozen shoulder” — When the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage) stiffen, making the joint difficult or impossible to move
• Torn cartilage, swollen bursa sacs, bone spurs
• Arthritis — Several forms can affect the shoulder
• Referred pain — Pain resulting from an injury to another location in the body, most often the neck or bicep; referred pain usually does not get worse with movement
• Disease — Including diseases of the cervical spine, heart, liver and gallbladder
• Aging — Soft tissues in the shoulder tend to degenerate with age
• Pinched nerve in the shoulder or neck
• Injuries that result in a broken bone or dislocated shoulder
Shoulder pain specialists in the Houston & Pasadena area
Solutions for shoulder pain
The doctors at APMC use every resource possible to reduce or eliminate shoulder pain and avoid surgery. After diagnosing the problem, our specialists create an individualized treatment plan that may include some combination of the following:
• Rest, ice/heat therapy — Taking care of the joint is the first step to recovery
• Physical therapy — Targeted exercise can decrease pain and swelling and increase range of motion
• Corticosteroid injections — Help to relieve pain and inflammation; patient response to corticosteroids can help pinpoint the cause of pain
• Anesthetic injections — Subacromial space injections dull the pain, so doctors can determine if problems in the joint come from pain or weakness
